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Letters to the Editor, Thursday, Sept. 12

Sep 12 2013 12:01 am

‘Who decides?’

Calling the old county market on Wappoo Road an historical building is both humorous and frightening. If that plywood-sided “shed” is considered to have historical significance, then that same significance could apply to a lot of structures in West Ashley. Who decides and what defines “historical”?

On another subject, knowing several disabled workers with varying degrees of injury makes me wonder at what point the able-bodied workers will not be able to support the disabled. Are our standards for being disabled too low? Most of us know of an example of someone who is labeled “disabled” but in reality is not.

Are we all victims? If we fail to follow the rules and we get hurt, should we be compensated because we are the victims of our own stupidity? Someone else must be responsible.

Meanwhile, it looks like the temporary sales tax hike will be extended, or we may even have another permanent increase. The sales tax has been increased many times in the last few years. Each time, the new increase is supposed to solve the current problems.

Sales tax started at 3 percent and now is around 8 percent to 10 percent depending on what you buy and where. Just maybe it is time to cut back on government spending.

My health insurance is going up by a significant amount. The new “affordable” health care does not appear to be very affordable, at least to me.

Everyone should be afforded equal opportunity; however, no one can guarantee equal results in a free society.

Charlie Ledford

North Edgewater Drive

Charleston

Wake-up call

John McCain, Lindsey Graham and others have condemned the Egyptians (one of our very few allies in that part of the world) and called for the cutoff of all aid. I wonder about their positions.

Although we are rightly concerned about the violence and bloodshed and wish there could be a better solution to Egypt’s problems, I wonder what we would do under a similar situation.

What would we do if a group vowing to destroy our way of life and force our acceptance of their religious principles, set up semi-permanent quarters around the capitol, the White House and the congressional office buildings?

What would we do if they burned churches and government buildings, and attacked citizens attempting to access those buildings?

I hope we would stop those occupations and attacks by whatever means were required.

I wonder though, given our government’s responses to other unacceptable behavior.

Our government refuses to acknowledge that we are at war with those avowed to destroy our way of life, yet, thankfully, it utilizes sophisticated weapons of war to remove the leadership of these groups.

Our government seems powerless to respond to attacks on our embassies and overseas military installations. It was bullied into closing our embassies and consulates in a significant section of the world.

Our government refuses to acknowledge acts of terrorism in the United States, instead classifying them as acts of workplace violence.

We have seen shootings in our military installations, attempts to bring down passenger planes, actual and planned bombings in crowded areas of our cities. If this isn’t war, what is?

It is time to demand better from our government, not through demonstrations, but through intelligent use of our ballots and recall petitions.

We must use the courts to stop legislation by executive order and bureaucratic agency rule making. If we just continue on with business as usual, then I guess we deserve what we get.

I hope our country will realize enough is enough and initiate change for the better.

KEN INGRAM

Old Drake Drive

Johns Island

Scary statistics

I was saddened to read the Aug. 31 report in your paper about a 21-year-old college co-ed being killed near mile marker 182 of I-26.

I realize it is unpopular to blame a precious endangered pine tree for the death of someone, but because it did not have to happen makes it a worse tragedy.

Cable barriers or guardrails, either one, possibly would have saved this young girl’s life, but that would require removing these political hot- potato pine trees in a 23-mile stretch of I-26.

Forty-four deaths, 709 severe injuries, and 1,734 accidents have been reported there by the S.C. Department of Transportation.

That was from January 2007 to December 2012. Numerous wrecks have been reported since, and more deaths.

It appears that any number of politicians are comfortable with that dismal highway safety record. I am not. SCDOT is not.

Is it really worth having that many people die?

Alvin Foster

W. 5th North Street

Summerville

Here we go again

Do the crises never end for this administration?

These are the consequences of a community organizer being elected to govern an entire country. This is the Peter Principle operating in hyper-drive.

Now the issue is whether or not to launch missiles into a sovereign country — an intervention, not an act of war, since we would not be putting boots on the ground.

What if Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to throw his support behind the U.S. Christians who demonstrate against their government on right-to-life issues outside of abortion clinics where hundreds of thousands of living beings have been destroyed? What if he did so by launching a couple of missiles from a cruiser off the East Coast toward Washington, D.C.?

Would we consider that an act of war or just an act of intervention?

If the president wanted to respond to an act of aggression, I think the embassy in Libya where four Americans were killed in an assault would have been a more likely place. Too busy, he was on his way to Vegas for a fund raiser.

Not to worry though. They are going to catch those responsible and bring them to justice, get to the bottom of the IRS scandal, snooping by the CIA and, of course, operation Fast & Furious.

I can hardly wait for the top law enforcement officer in the United States, Eric Holder, to announce those who will be prosecuted as a result of his department’s investigations.

The bottom line is the president is just shifting the U.S. citizens’ minds off the real issues of the day — national debt and unemployment —and has absolutely no clue how to resolve the real problems that face everyday Americans trying to earn a living.

Larry Larkins

Southwold Circle

Goose Creek

Losing a pet

My cat Pouncer was diagnosed with cancer. It was blocking his bladder so he could not eliminate his urine, and it was building up toxins in his blood and other organs.

Unfortunately, he had more tumors also, and nothing could be done. The vet did make Pouncer comfortable so he would be able to come home and spend one more night allowing us to say goodbye.

When it came time to end Pouncer’s suffering I was told that it would cost me $74. After calling around I found a doctor who would help and not charge me for it.

Through all my tears I got to hold and pet him during the end of his life, crying all the time. I will miss him and have an empty spot in my heart.

What I can’t understand is why would a practice that you have been going to for your pets (my children) charge anyone to end the suffering and pain.

Michael Schwarzott

Edgebrook Circle

North Charleston

Text message

Banning texting is a good idea, but much like the 55 mph speed limit, too troublesome to enforce.

Lenny Branch

Houston Northcutt Boulevard

Mount Pleasant

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